About Me

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United Kingdom
I've been creative writing all my life, though with various haitus(es) along the way. IFrom 2010 I started this blog and enjoyed sharing writing and other information with everyone. illness and bereavement supplied the more recent hiatus.

Monday, 24 June 2013

Write a story for Neil Gaiman

Looks like I missed the boat on this one. Check it out here:

This is how it works. Neil Gaiman has written the opening line and you are invited to finish it. Take it in any direction you like by posting your contribution – however strange or short – in the comment thread.

Here's my belated attempt




It wasn't just the murder, he decided. Everything else seemed to have conspired to ruin his day as well. Even the cat.

Just as Gerald had nipped out to put the rubbish in the bin, the cat had slipped around the door, clipping it closed with a resounding bang.
If it hadn’t been for the murder, Gerald could have had a leisurely breakfast, savouring each rich mouthful of freshly brewed coffee. 
As he stood gazing at the back door in disbelief, he recalled the summons to work, which had hurried his breakfast and prevented him from enjoying his crunchy, hot toast  and blackcurrant jam. Rushing to dress he no longer had time to marvel at the day’s crossword puzzle that his broadsheet had to offer.

If it hadn’t been for the need to take out the rubbish that morning, Gerald would not now be locked outside his house, instead of inside stuffing his laptop, mobile and keys into various pockets and bags, so that he could fly out of the front door and be on his way to the scene of the crime. 

by Madeleine Sara
  

Or:

It wasn't just the murder, he decided. Everything else seemed to have conspired to ruin his day as well. Even the cat.  
Lucifer was especially good at glancing in such a disdainful manner that Gerald could only squirm inwardly like a worm that not a single bird might deign to eat. The murder had been unsettling enough, but then events continued, spawning what could only be described as the ultimate Monday-morning nightmare; the sort 1980's pop stars might sing about.
Lucifer, the neighbour's cat, liked to sit on the boundary wall giving Gerald 'the evil eye'.  Gerald shuddered trying to forget the details of the morning so far. Things could only get better, he determined and today he had had enough of that cat!

"Clearoff!" he growled in the cat's direction, gesticulating his arms in as menacing a manner as possible.

"Is that the best you can do when there's a murder to be solved?" asked the cat, sounding like Lucius Malfroy from the Harry Potter films.

Gerald narrowed his eyes and scoured the wall for signs of his neighbour, Giles, the amateur dramatics aficionado.




Thursday, 13 June 2013

Speculative Fiction and D'oh

Hi everyone, just to say I've not been logging on because the computer has been exacerbating my migraines and I know I keep saying it but I do expect to return to Blogland when the fog of life lifts.

So I thought I'd let you know what I have been reading and enjoying in the Speculative Fiction genre.


When She Woke by Hillary Jordan


Both hubby and I enjoyed this enormously.
Excellent!


And yes, I finally succumbed and read  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (which is far better than the film, though the film is better than expected) Literally Un-put-downable!

I am now reading the second in the trilogy Catching Fire. I also have the third, Mocking Jay.












I also read the Ally Condie Trilogy  
Matched, Crossed, Reached, which I confess I enjoyed less and toward the end was forcing myself to finish it. Sadly, the ending of the last book did not satisfy either.






What are you views on these novels?